**Author's note: the next few Chapters will be divided up into 5a and 5b, 6a, 6b, etc for reasons that will be come clear as you read!!!
Mulder's Living Room
"Why in the world would Scully quit the FBI?" Byers mused to himself. "I mean it seems like you guys have a pretty nice situation over there considering it is the federal government and all."
"What I do?" Mulder moaned.
"I don't think you need to start blaming yourself here," Langly began.
"Maybe she works for Them," Forhike interupted. "And this is all part of Their plan."
"Oh shut up!" Mulder said exasperated. Luckily everyone did shut in time to hear a knock at the door. Motioning for everyone to be quiet, Mulder got up and peered through the peephole to see Scully standing at his door. For a moment Mulder didn't know whether he wanted to scream, cry, hide, or throw up.
As if sensing his friend's anguish, Byers said, "You've got to talk to her."
"But, if she sees us hauling ass out of here isn't she going to know something is up," Frohike offered.
"Something is up," Mulder hissed as the knocking at his door got louder.
"Well there's no time to sneak out, otherwise she's going to leave," Langly said looking around the apartment. Then he caught sight of the door to Mulder's bedroom.
A few seconds later the door to Mulder's apartment swung open just as Scully was about to give up and walk away.
"Sorry, I was jus watching a movie so I didn't hear the door," babbled Mulder.
"Oh it' no big deal," shrugged Scully. They stood in a moment of akward silence. For her part Scully was wondering why she had decided to come Mulder's apartment in the first place. She should've stuck to her original plan of letting Mulder find out about her new job from AD Skinner, but somehow it didn't seem fair to the man who'd grown from being a mere co-worker to a close friend. Even now looking at Mulder, she felt herself reconsidering the decision she had made earlier that day.
Mulder could tell that something was bothering her, but he was too involved in his own emotions to try and decipher what. However he could barely bring himself to look at her, to gaze into her perfect blue eyes and know that she was giving up on their quest, on him.
"I, uh thought I'd stop by," Scully began suddenly wanting to be home, to be awy from his gaze that caused doubts to creep into her mind. "Did I leave my cell phone in your car?"
"Yeah, I've got it. Will you come in for a minute?" Mulder asked hoping she wasn't just going to demand her phone and walk out of his life forever.
"Having a party?" mused Scully motioning to the four pizza boxes scattered all over his coffee table.
"Something like that," muttered Mulder.
"I thought you and the Gunmen were investigating toaster ovens or something," Scully said peering around for signs of the three merry pranksters.
"Microwave ovens actually but they aren't here yet," Mulder said as the noise of a cardboard box falling came from his bedroom.
"What was that?" asked Scully surprised that she'd not even noticed the door on previous visits to Mulder's apartment.
**Meanwhile in Chapter 5B**
Mulder's Living Room
"Why in the world would Scully quit the FBI?" Byers mused to himself. "I mean it seems like you guys have a pretty nice situation over there considering it is the federal government and all."
"What I do?" Mulder moaned.
"I don't think you need to start blaming yourself here," Langly began.
"Maybe she works for Them," Forhike interupted. "And this is all part of Their plan."
"Oh shut up!" Mulder said exasperated. Luckily everyone did shut in time to hear a knock at the door. Motioning for everyone to be quiet, Mulder got up and peered through the peephole to see Scully standing at his door. For a moment Mulder didn't know whether he wanted to scream, cry, hide, or throw up.
As if sensing his friend's anguish, Byers said, "You've got to talk to her."
"But, if she sees us hauling ass out of here isn't she going to know something is up," Frohike offered.
"Something is up," Mulder hissed as the knocking at his door got louder.
"Well there's no time to sneak out, otherwise she's going to leave," Langly said looking around the apartment. Then he caught sight of the door to Mulder's bedroom.
A few seconds later the door to Mulder's apartment swung open just as Scully was about to give up and walk away.
"Sorry, I was jus watching a movie so I didn't hear the door," babbled Mulder.
"Oh it' no big deal," shrugged Scully. They stood in a moment of akward silence. For her part Scully was wondering why she had decided to come Mulder's apartment in the first place. She should've stuck to her original plan of letting Mulder find out about her new job from AD Skinner, but somehow it didn't seem fair to the man who'd grown from being a mere co-worker to a close friend. Even now looking at Mulder, she felt herself reconsidering the decision she had made earlier that day.
Mulder could tell that something was bothering her, but he was too involved in his own emotions to try and decipher what. However he could barely bring himself to look at her, to gaze into her perfect blue eyes and know that she was giving up on their quest, on him.
"I, uh thought I'd stop by," Scully began suddenly wanting to be home, to be awy from his gaze that caused doubts to creep into her mind. "Did I leave my cell phone in your car?"
"Yeah, I've got it. Will you come in for a minute?" Mulder asked hoping she wasn't just going to demand her phone and walk out of his life forever.
"Having a party?" mused Scully motioning to the four pizza boxes scattered all over his coffee table.
"Something like that," muttered Mulder.
"I thought you and the Gunmen were investigating toaster ovens or something," Scully said peering around for signs of the three merry pranksters.
"Microwave ovens actually but they aren't here yet," Mulder said as the noise of a cardboard box falling came from his bedroom.
"What was that?" asked Scully surprised that she'd not even noticed the door on previous visits to Mulder's apartment.
**Meanwhile in Chapter 5B**